Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg, Dianne Feinstein push for gun control

Advocates of strengthening gun control laws continued to make a public push for change as attention in Washington has begun to swing toward sequestration and immigration.

Vice President Joe Biden weighed in on Senate negotiations over background checks. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg lobbied Congress for new laws and met with Biden. And Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) chaired a high-profile hearing on renewing the assault weapons ban.

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Wednesday’s activity was a prelude to Thursday’s scheduled Senate Judiciary Committee markup on comprehensive gun control legislation. Panel Republicans are expected to use their right to delay the markup for another week.

Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) have been negotiating on language that would expand background checks for gun buyers. Coburn has maintained his position that any changes that keep records of purchases won’t get support from him or Republicans.

Speaking at the National Association of Attorneys General, Biden gave the first public signs that the White House is frustrated by the state of negotiations, which continued Wednesday.

“The proposal they’re arguing as they mark up the legislation in the United States Senate are so porous that they are going to allow a truck to be driven through the holes in the legislation they are proposing, loaded with tens of thousands of weapons,” Biden said.

Without naming Coburn, Biden derided the position that records shouldn’t be kept for gun purchases.

“For example, they come up with a system where there’s a new version of an instant-check system where you go online and check if you’re qualified and then you go to the buyer in a private sale,” Biden said. “But guess what? They want the law to say no record would be kept. How in the hell would you know if that transaction would be real if no record can be kept?”